Thread holder for weft-replenishing looms



Feb.` 17,-I 1931. H, GERBER' 1,793,170

THREAD HOLDER FOR WEFT REPLENISHINC: LOOMS Filed Feb. 26, 192s 2 sheets-sheet 1 Illlllllllllllllll llllllm Feb. 17, 1931. l GERBER 1,793,170*

I THREAD HOLDER FOR wEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed Feb. 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 |44 aas'k fa 4 .5v iff/ffm* .Hof/770 f'ff" JHM# made;

Patented Feb. 17, 1931 HERMAN' GERBER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE SLAITD, ASSGNOR TO CROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF WC'QJCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS THREAD HOLDERJ FOR YTEFT-EEPLENISHING LOOMS Application filed February 26, 1929.' Serial No. 342,791.

This invention relates to thread holders 'for weit replenishing looms and it is an imporimproved and convenient weighted element to which the wett ends of reserve bobbins may be attached. Y

In the usual torni oi multicolor weft re plenisliing mechanisms reserve bobbins are held in several vertical parallel stacks and the ends of thetilling or wett ends extending from the bobbins are secured to some lined point. As the bobbins descend in their stacks the weft ends become slackv and unless some means is provided for keeping them taut they are likely to be engaged by the lay or some other Vpart of the loom and be broken. lt is an important object of my present invention toprovide a simple and convenient Jform oit weighted element so constructed as to ailord a ready means for attaching the weft endsl thereto, the element preferably comprising a wire having a pair of angularly disposed elements around which the weit ends may be wrapped.

It is a further object ot myv invention to provide a tensioning weight guided at a point n intermediate its ends and connected at its upper end to the wett threads, the weight being effectively held against objectionable vibration7 but subject to slight vibration to assist in straightening the weft ends.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds7 my invention resides in the combination and ar rangement orn parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth, Y

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the outer end of a multicolor weft replenisliing mechanism having my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation oi the inechanisin shown in Fig. 1, the lay and certain parts associated therewith being added,

F ig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 oi Fig. 2 looking in the direction of t ie arrows Fig. 4 is a detailed horizontal section lool;- ing down along line l-e of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of one of the weighted elements forming an important tant object ot the invention to provide an part oi: my present invention.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 l, have shown aniagazine frame M having vertical slots 10 from which extend the weft ends l/V. The bobbins B are located4 as set forth herein in tour difiere-nt stacks, the tips 11 of the bobbins being guided by slots 12 formed in the magazine frame. AThe magazine includes in its construction iront and rear tie rods 18 and lll, respectively. he lay L moves back and forth under the magazine and cai'- ries the usual shuttle S which is propelled by the picker sticlr 15.

The matter thus far described is oi coinmon construction and for a further Ydescription of its construction and operation reterence may be had to Patent No. 15030548.

In carrying my present invention into eifect l extend the tie rod 'lil as at 20 and mount for sliding adjustment therealong the head 21 of a vertical rod 22. Said head and rod are ield in adjusted longitudinal position with respect to the eXtension 2O by means oi set screw 23.

Slidably mounted Jfor vertical adjustment on the rod 22 is a hub 24 held in position by set screw 25. Extending horizontally and forwardly in this instance from the hub Y2liis a rod 26 bent at its forward end as at 27 and extending rearwardly as at 28. The portion 28 is preferably` between the magazine and the main part oi the rod 26 and has a pair ot' diagonally extending positioning pins 29 which have vertical substantially parallel portions 30 between which lie all of the weftends l/V.

Projecting upwardly from the iod 26 is a plurality of pairs of guide pins, there being one pair Jfor-each stack of bobbins. The-se pairs, designated generally at 31, 32, 33 and 34, respectively, may be distributed along the main part of the rod 26 and are disposed both behind and in front ot the positioning pins 29. The guide pins may be set into th e, rod 2G at an angle as suggested in Fig. 3 and the pins ot each pair are spaced apart a slight distance to confine the respective weft ends to a small portion of the bar 26.

a wi The lower end of the bar 22 may be threaded as at d0 and have niouiited thereon upper and lower nuts Ll-l and d2, respectively, between which lies one end of a guide plate i3 shown more particularly in e. rlhe bar 22 extends through the guide pate and the latter is ield in adjusted vertical position by means of the nuts. 'lhe plate is provided with a plurality of spaced non-circular, preferably elongated apertu es 4., 4-5, lll and 4f? which lie preferably direct` under the pairs of pins 3l, 33 and 8l, respectively. The plate as shown in Fig. l extends substantially parallel to and under the rod 26.

The weisfhted elements which are illustrated pe cular-ly in Fig. 5 are formed preferably of a single piece of wire which is bent so as to have two relatively long parallel sides 50 and 5l which are located at the left and right hand sides, respectively, of the element as viewed in Fig. l. The upper end of the side 5l is bent downwe' ly arf" to the right to forni a prong 52 inclned with respect to the side 5l. The other side 50 is bent bach on itself as at 53 and then projects upwardly and to the right to form a second prong 54rdiagonal with respect to the portion The latter portion is preferably in ali gninent with the side 5l so that the ends 52 and 54 are substantially symmetrical about a horizontal line passing centrally through the opening` 55 between the bent ends of the wire. The prongs 52 and 54, beingformed of wire, forni av slightly resilient holder around which the weft ends may be wrapped, and said ends by extending in opposite directions serve to retain the mass of weft which is wound into the notches 56.

As shown in the right hand end of Fig. l the parallel sides 50 and 5l of the weighted element may lie respectively in the opposite ends et one or another of the slots formed in the `guide. The slots serve tol hold the weighted element against rotation so that the prongs 52 or l are always in substantially the same position, namely, projecting outwardly or toward the side of the loom to be accessible as shown in Fig. 2. It desired auxiliary U-shaped weights 6() may he looped through the bottoms of the weighted elements as shown in Fig. 3. lt will also be seen that the guide plate restrains vibration of the elements 50 by engaging the latter intermediate their ends and that vibration of the upper ends of the elements is resisted by the weft threads. ln this way a single guide is found to be suflieient for the element 50.

ln operation, when a new supply of bobbins is being placed in the magazine, the weighted elements will be raised to their highest position and the several weft ends from the new bobbins wrapped around the prongs 52 and 54;, Said ends will extend from the bobbins and all lie between the positioning pins 29 and then will extend to the particular pair of guide pins corresponding' to the stack from which the weft ends are drawn. rlhereafter, as successive transfers occur and the bobbins move downwardly, the weighted elements will also descend, acting to keep the weft ends taut so that as the lay moves back and forth it will not become entangled with the weft ends.

From the foregoing it will be seen that l have provided a very simple forni ol' thread holder for weft replenishing looms having a weighted element formed of a single piece of v-Iire so constructed as to have oppositely cX- tendine ends to define means for holding a mass or yarn. lt will also be seen that each weighted element has the lower portion thereof of a general form other than circular to be received by non-circular openings in the guide plate to keep the yarn engaging portion of the weight always in substantially the same position where it is readily accessible. lt will also be seen that the guides 29 forni a guide common to all the weft ends so that no matter through which of the pairs of pins the threads extend they will always be held in substantially the same position with respect to the lay so as to ell'ect proper threading of the shuttle.

'it will also he seen that the weighted elements 5t), while being held against undue vibration which would result in entanglement of the several groups of weft ends, are neverf Ns free `to vibrate to a limit-ed extent so subject the weft ends to repeated strains the eli'ect of which is to straighten the threads should several of the threads become entangled and serve to prevent the weight from 'falling to its proper position to tension the lowest t ireads.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that chances and modifications may be made therein .Jy those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what l claim is:

l. ln a weft replenishing mechanism having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a support for the weft ends, a weighted element having oppositely extending prongs adjacent the upper end thereof to which the weft ends are secured, and a guide through which the weighted element extends, the element extending above and below the guide member and being` restrained as to vibration by said guide member.

2. ln a weft replenishing` mechanism having` reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a support for the weft ends, a weighted element having oppositely extending prongs adjacent the upper end thereof to which the weft ends are secured, and a guide through which the weighted element extends, the latter extending above and below the guide member and being restrained as to vibration by said guide member, said weighted element being formed of a single piece of wire and the prongs being dened by the ends of the wire.

3. In a weft replenishing mechanism having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, an elongated support substantially horizontal and over which the weft ends extend, a guide member below and substantially 'parallel to the support, and a weighted element positioned by the guide and restrained against vibration thereby, the upper end of the weighted element being attached to the weft ends, and guide pins on the first guide member to confine lateral movement of the weft ends along the first named guide to keep said weft ends properly placed with respect to the weighted element.

4. In a weft replenishing mechanism having reserve bobbins from which extend weit ends, a supporting rod, a guide plate, guide pins on the rod dei'ining a space between which weft ends may extend, an opening in the plate located substantially below the guide pins, and a weighted element extending through the opening in the guide plate and having the upper end thereof attached to the weft ends which extend between the guide pins, the latter directing the weft ends toward the weighted element so that the element is disposed substantially vertically, the weighted element tending to keep the weft ends taut. Y

5. In a weft replenishing mechanism having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a support member over which the Weit ends extend, a guide plate below said member having a non-circular opening therein, a weighted element extending through the opening and having prongs disposed in a plane transverse of the guide member, said non-circular opening cooperating with the weighted element to hold said prongs in the plane which is transverse of the guide member, the weft ends being secured to the prongs and the element tensioningl the weft ends.

In testimony whereot` I have hereunto affixed my signature.

HERMAN GERBER. 

